Earth Alliance Ships - Babylon 5

Dreadnoughts of the Alpha-Class (model Heavy Cruiser)

Although the Omega and Nova destroyers form the core of the Earth Alliance fleet, the comparatively old Alpha class still plays a major role in the Earth Alliance fleet. Modern heavy cruisers are more than one kilometer long, an armament of several big guns and a small number of Starfury fighters. In the 35 years in which the heavy cruiser were used emerged three variants: Roosevelt, Hyperion and Midwinter. The Roosevelt variant (2237) was the first heavy cruiser was equipped with hangars for Starfuries. The Hyperion variant (2244) was equipped for a complete overhaul of the structure of the Alpha class with many new systems (e.g. "interceptors"). The latest version of the Alpha class is the Midwinter modification (2247), which, used as the first heavy cruisers particle laser technology, which was acquired from the Narn.

The power supply is controlled by fusion reactors. The ship receives its driving power of ion drives, which are housed in the last segment of the vessel. All variants of the Alpha class can open their own jump point. Heavy Cruiser variants have an impressive range of new weapons at their disposal. Two particle laser to port and starboard as well as some turrets with pulse cannons and a powerful double-plasma gun to the upper part of the bow. As the Alpha Class 2226 went into service they were the most powerful ship in the Earth's fleet. Because at that time the technology was not mature enough for rotating sections to create artificial gravity.

Many of the cruisers in the Earth - Minbari War were utilized to combat the Minbari fleet, but they were hopelessly outmached by the Minbari capital ships. The "EAS Lexington" while under the command of Lieutenant Commander John J. Sheridan won the first and only victory in the Earth - Minbari War. After the War many of the old ships were renewed and equipped with new weapons, armor and tactical systems. Following these efforts, the Alphas are almost the equal to any other ship, which is currently in service.

Dreadnoughts of Nova class (Type Cruiser)

The Earth Alliance Nova class cruisers are big battleships that were designed to bring the power of the Earth Alliance to whereever it is needed. The maiden flight took place 2245th The Class I Ships Nova is about 1.5 km long and served as a basis for the design of more sophisticated Omega class destroyer. In 2230 the Earth Alliance decided after the Centauri their Vorchan class and the Narn had presented their G'Quan class, they also had to expand its fleet including a stronger and larger ship. It should be a ship that should have far more firepower than the Hyperion class cruisers. The Erdsenat decided on a project named "Orion". The Orion class battleship was actually planned as a massive and powerful ship that was to use the best and latest technology from the research sites.

It should be more than 2 km long and have a rotating center section of artificial gravity and feature revolutionary weapons technologies. But the Orion class never went into active service. Although impressed by the concept, it was felt to be too large and too expensive for the military needs of the Alliance. Because of budget cuts, the project was frozen and dodged the draft for a smaller ship, the Nova class, which was designed for the role of a heavy attack cruiser of the Earth's fleet. The Nova-class cruisers are powered by four major fusion engines. They are driven by four ion engines and can open their own jump point.

The exact armament for the Nova class is not known, because they can be modified and reconfigured in many ways. However, the standard armament seems to consist of several plasma guns and some particle weapons. In addition, can be transported to off alone a fortified military installation with a strong contingent of marines, equipment and supplies.

The crew consists of about 250 men. The immense loading capacity of the vessel is due to the maximization of the storage space and minimization of comfort. During the Earth-Minbari War, a second type of vessel was developed which was armed slightly longer and stronger. The main advantage, however, was that the new version was faster than Class I and thus had a better chance to escape from Minbari ships. In both variants, rotating center section for the creation of artificial gravity was omitted in favor of extra armor. But it seems that this colossus also a single, but serious, disadvantage. Because if the ship utilizes its full firepower the power from the engines is limited.

Dreadnoughts of the Omega class (type destroyer)

The Omega Destroyers are the Earth Alliance equivalent of a battleship combined with an aircraft carrier. You can transport huge amounts of soldiers, starfighters and material and what is the most important, also provide a gun platform as a capital ship. With a length of approximately 1,700 meters it is one of the largest and most powerful ship classes of the military of the Earth Alliance. The design of the Omega class was, like that of Nova class, derived from cost reasons from existing plans. So the plans of Nova stood godfather to ships Design of Omegas. Some things that were already planned for the Orion class, found their way into the draft of the new ships such as the rotating section to give them artificial gravity within the ship. In addition, all the advantages of the Orion designs were separated from the disadvantages and rearranged in the Omega class.

So the new destroyer class is not as slow and cumbersome and nowhere near as large as the Orion class. Powered by four ion engines and the power supply is ensured by four major fusion reactors. Due to the high power output of the reactors of this ship is capable to open its own jump point. The armament consists of a few backward-looking particle and heavy pulse cannons. The forwardly directed main arms of the vessel are two heavy particle guns. In addition, defense turrets are mounted with particle cannons all over the ship. In addition, the Omega class battleships can fire missiles. The crew is less than 1,000 men, it can carry several thousand Marines as well as additional material. Unlike the rest of the ship models that are used by the Earth Alliance, this has a rotating center section, including artificial gravity. Although these "only" created by simple rotation (and not produced as in the ships of the Minbari by a kind of gravitational drive) it allows an increase in the efficiency of the crew, as not to be fought with the adversities of zero-gravity. In order to maintain the ship on course, that to obtain a stable rotational axis, the middle section is rotated about a shaft which connects the front and rear part of the vessel.

To minimize material wear arises the physical contact between the sections is minimized. The rotating part of the vessel is likely to be rotated by an electromagnetic superconductor system. As already mentioned, the destroyers are divided into three sections, each of which is there for a specific purpose. The front part is mainly Hangar and contains storerooms and communication systems. The quarters, life support, the command center and the ship's computer are housed in the center section due to the artificial gravity. The third part, or the drive section, the jump engines, the reactors and the fuel tank holds.

Dreadnoughts of Omega X class (type destroyer)

A by-product of the civil war on earth was the Omega X destroyer. This vessel was charged with revolutionary weapons and shadow technology stolen from the Shadow vessels found on Mars and Ganymede. This class of warship was the time of its completion the most dangerous weapon that has ever been produced in the history of the Earth. Much of the technology that was discovered at the excavation site on Ganymede, the understanding ability of researchers increased by a multiple.

Although the best minds around the Earth Alliance worked on the Shadow vessels, with which ships are understood only a fraction of the rudimentary technology that they used to equip these new elite forces. Nevertheless, the discovered technologies opened opportunities to which one had not even given a thought before. When Clark came through the attack Sheridan's in trouble, he ordered researchers to new technologies as quickly as possible to transfer to 20 existing Omega Destroyers to finally have something against the White Stars controlled by Sheridan.

So a fleet of ships, which we know as Omega X class emerged. Once they were airworthy, orders were given to all Omega X to attack Sheridan's ships and destroy especially the earth destroyers that had joined Sheridan`s forces. The destroyer group in 2261 that met Susan Ivanova's Whitestar fleet was indeed equipped with Fusion guns and biological armor, but some of their systems were not yet fully operational. Therefore, they were only "almost" equal to the White Stars. The main weapon of the White Stars could hardly penetrate the hulls of the Omega X bioarmour. The offensive weapons of the Omegas were the defensive institutions in no way inferior to strength. They could with several hits to destroy the shields of WS and destroy them. Of the 20 White Stars who took part in the attack, only seven were left and had suffered severe damage. Only three of the seven still were fully functioning and able to participate in the attack on Mars. The remaining 4 were too damaged to take part in further hostilities. The arming of the Omega X consists of four firing rear and two forward facing heavy fusion cannon. On the sides of the ship at least 10 defense phalanxes are distributed with light Fusion guns. None of the ships ever built Omega X is still in service. All were destroyed in combat.

Starfighter of the Aurora-class (Type Starfury)

The "SA-23 Mitchell-Hyundyne Aurora class Starfury" (2244) is a single-seat, spaceflight capable hunter who is used by the Earth Alliance on battleships and bases for short-haul operations. Of all the starfighters of the younger races the Starfury is only surpassed by Minbari fighters for there maneuverability and combat strength. The design of the Fury is designed for speed, maneuverability and large weapon load. A standard Starfury is about 10 m deep (viewed from the front), approximately 18 m wide and about 8 m high. The armament consists of four straight firing pulse cannons and two rear-firing slightly smaller pulse cannons. In addition, the Fury can be equipped with a minimum of eight fusion missiles. The power supply and the drive is controlled by fusion batteries which have a life span of several hours in normal flight operations. At maximum power output, ie, life support, fully-activated weapons and maximum thrust, the life of the fusion batteries shortened to only half of its actual lifetime. The pilots sit in a nearly upright position and control your spaceship with a combination of hand, foot and voice-activated controls. This allows them in the fight to concentrate and to always have a perfect overview of the situation. In addition to the standard Starfury just described still exist 2 further modifications of the Aurora class, see below.

The "severity Starfury" is a two-seater (pilot and gunner). The pulpit for "Gunner" is attached to the rear opposite the cockpit. In addition, the plane is better armored and has more powerful weapons than the standard Starfury. Because of this it is a bit slower and more difficult to maneuver. The main application is as an attack bomber. Therefore, this class is also almost exclusively stationed on battleships.

The "Omega Black" -Starfury is a specialized variant. Because it was designed for reconnaissance missions and covert operations, it is considerably more expensive than the standard model and has a special equipment which aims to hunters largely carry on "invisible". About armor and armament is due to the confidentiality unknown. This particular modification only by the Psi Corps.

Air-ground fighter

The air-to-ground fighter is the backing of the Earth Alliance infantry units. It was designed for two main purposes: to attack and carry out supply flights. It is also usable as an infantry transporter. The construction has been mainly, but not exclusively, designed for battle in atmosphere. The flights in space limited to the flight from the hangar of the ship up to the site on the surface. For their use, they are usually brought by the Nova class cruisers. At this dock also again once they reach orbit. The armament consists of an unknown type of particle weapons.

Starfighter of Thunderbolt-Class (model Starfury)

The SA-26 Mitchell-Hyundyne Thunderbolt class Starfury is a two-seat fighter which is used by the EA for short and medium range combat missions. The SA-26 is the only Starfury that can operate in atmospheres and in space. The Thunderbolts are larger than the Aurora-class Starfuries with about 16 meters deep, 18 meters wide and 7 meters high. The armament consists of four forward-looking pulsed plasma cannons. In addition, guns and / or missiles can also be mounted on multiple weapons suspensions on the wings. For emergencies, the Thunderbolts have a tightly integrated particle gun that can be used, however, due to the extremely long reload time of about 15 sec., Only if it is absolutely necessary. The pilot does not sit in a nearly vertical attitude, as in the Aurora class, but rather in the pilot position, which was common in classical jet aircraft of the 20th century.

These are controlled, as the standard auror class starfuries over hand, foot and voice-activated control, but compared to those of the Aurora class were further improved and are more sensitive. Because of their ability of atmospheric combat ability, the Thunderbolts are stationed not only on battleships but also on the planet, where they are used exclusively defensive tasks.

Invasion capsule

Invasion capsules are the troopship for boarding party of the Earth Alliance and are generally carried by the capital ships where it is necessary to board spaceships or space stations. These shuttles are built for fast and undetected infiltration by the Marines of the Earth Alliance against a target ship or space station. These "attach" them at the outer shell of the enemy target and burn with special cutting tools. Once the shell is broken, infiltrated a special unit of the Marines inside the object and is trying to gain control or, as a last step to destroy the object.

Explorer-Class (model research vessel)

Explorer Class vessels are a combination of research and exploration ships. With an incredible length of about 6 kilometers the Explorer ships are the longest in the Earth's fleet. Although the primary mission of the Explorer class consists of exploration and discovery, it still has some defensive weapons, which consist of some Starfuries and pulse cannons. This makes the Explorer ships vulnerable targets to aggressive ships. However, for any dangerous situations they can easily escape using their strong jump engines and their fusion reactors. The ships of the Explorer class spend much of their working lives at the edge of the galaxy("RIM"), to explore the uncharted and unknown regions of the galaxy, which are claimed by any known race.

Therefore these vessels are the first with which an alien race comes into contact. For this reason, the entire crew is very well acquainted with the so-called first-contact procedures. The Explorer ships are trimmed for efficiency and precision due to their uniqueness. So they always have the latest sensor and communication technology, to make it easier to get in touch with foreign cultures. They also have to map out the planet surface as quickly as possible, several discharge vessels can completely grasp the whole planet within a few weeks and investigate. A large part of the vessel, however, not from research institutions, but from workshops and parts that are needed to build jump gates. The new gates make it easier for new ships to penetrate into the newly developed areas to reduce e.g. raw materials or to establish trade relations with new peoples. In addition, the Earth government may ask other breeds for using their jump gates to checkout to take money or commodities.

Survey ship (type research vessel)

The reconnaissance ships of the Earth Alliance have been built apparently of real minimalists. They are not very big, have no artificial gravity and can not open their own jump points. To arrive at their destination, they must be carried by larger vessels or use jump gates. In return for lack of technical equipment, these vessels can grant the longest possible stay in the room or on a hostile planet without having to rely on external supplies. In addition, these ships have the ability to land on the planet. But be because appropriate aerodynamic additions such as wings or tail missing, special rocket engines, which are distributed around the ship. Normally these ships perform the duties there continued where an Explorer has finished. Many of these ships will be entertained by the mining and commodity companies, which they use to stake out mining areas.

Cargo Ship (Type freighter)

These and other cargo are very popular in the EA. The manning levels is very low, the storage space but is designed for maximum cargo intake. They have no defenses and must be escorted by Starfuries because they are a popular target of space pirates.

Shuttle Service

These are the standard repair ships of the Earth Alliance, which are used in addition to Babylon 5 on all other docks and space stations of the EA. This one-man spaceship equipped with a variety of tools that are needed to work stations or spaceships for repairs and maintenance. The equipment consists of a welding device, two gripper arms and a cutting laser.

Personal Transporter (Type passenger ship)

Personal shuttle will only be used for short-range transport, they can be used both for freight and passenger transport. Its main task is to transport of personnel to and from space stations or spaceships. Due to their size they are not able to make their own jump points, and are thus dependent on jump gates or large vessels. Personnel shuttles have two crew members and can carry 20 passengers. They are driven by ion drives that draw their energy from fusion batteries.

Mobile Psi Corps base of Asimov-class (Type passenger ship)

These transports are highly modified passenger liner of Asimov class that have been converted into mobile application bases for the Psi Corps. They spend most of their time in hyperspace and return only to normal space back to do necessary repairs. Very few get to see these ships. It must be assumed that this class have excellent navigation technology for hyperspace. What use is a secret and mobile base, but if they must follow the standard hyperspace conductive paths. No more is known about these ships for reasons of confidentiality.

Skyclark class (type transport ship)

The freighter Skyclark class are the most popular and most widely used civilian freighter in the Earth Alliance. They are used by traders as well as privateers and mercenaries. The popularity of the ship moves you to cope well with the attacks of Raiders of the long intervals without maintenance. The Skyclarks are staffed with three crew members, have about 60 m³ cargo space and room for five more passengers or crew. When fully loaded and completed passenger seats can Skyclark class guarantee supply and life support for about 100 days. Although the Skyclark comes from the factory with no weapons, several suspensions can be mounted on the energy weapons of various types. In addition to the Standard Model still exist several other variants of Skyclark series. The classic model is space- and atmosphere airworthy. The new modifications have no longer the ability to operate in atmospheres but are faster, have a larger cargo area and have increased operational range.

Hestrel class (type atmosphere Shuttle)

Atmospheric shuttle`s are about 25 m long and 45 m wide (wingspan). They are used primarily for freight and passenger between planets, ships or space stations. Although they are not able to make their own jump points, they can overcome long distances in space quickly and easily, where they are, however, dependent on jumpgates or large vessels. The crew must consist of at least one person, but which may well serve alone the shuttle also. The cargo capacity is probably more than 100 m³. In addition, the passengers 25 can be transported.

GOD satellite (type atmosphere Shuttle)

The "Global Orbital Defense" is the primary planetary defense system of the Earth Alliance. It is used not only to defend the Earth, but also to all other major colonies. The latest version of GOD was developed shortly after the Earth-Minbari War, to be protected against possible further attacks by alien races. The GOD defense grid consists of approximately 200 satellites orbiting the earth at about 1000 km. Each is equipped with a heavy particle gun, three pulse cannons and up to 80 missiles. The heavy main weapon of the satellite, for example, able to destroy the entire east coast of the United States on a full charge. The missile can be optionally equipped with large warheads for long range or weaker warheads for short-range defense.

Merchantman of Asimov-class (Type passenger ship)

Merchantmen are extremely large spaceship, which represent the largest civilian ships the Earth Alliance, with more than 600 m length. They are operated by the largest trade consortiums on Earth and the colonies. Although they were originally designed solely as a passenger ship, some have been converted into pure freighters. The artificial vessels have Gravitation generated by rotation of the "ball", the main part of the vessel. They are powered by four ion engines that draw their energy from a big fusion reactor. In defense, they have a small number of plasma weapons that are installed distributed throughout the ship. Some models have a jump drive, but the majority does not have. Therefore, they must rely on jump gates.

Earth Force One

The "Earth Force One" is the spaceship of the President of the Earth Alliance. It was destroyed on New Year 2259 by an explosion. The then president Louis Santiago was killed. Officially the explosion was an accident. But as we now know it was an assassination, which was carried out on the orders of the then Vice-President. The Earth Force One seems about to have the size of a small cruiser.

As a defense it leads with a squadron of special Starfuries which are flown by elite pilots. The design of the vessel appears to lean to the passenger vessels of Asimov class. The large middle section rotates, so that the greatest possible comfort for the President is created. The four large solar panel on the back of the ship provide drive as well as life support and other ship systems with energy. About a redundant power supply, for example in the form of batteries or reactors are unknown. Also on the defense capacity of the vessel itself can be made owing to the secret. The Earth Alliance has probably taken at least two ships of this type in service.